NORWICH, Conn. (AP) — The U.S. State Department has ordered some public libraries across the country to stop processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that librarians rely on in their communities and that has operated smoothly for years.

The agency, which regulates U.S. passports, began issuing cease-and-desist orders to nonprofit libraries in late fall, and as of Friday notified them that they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility Program.

“We still get calls every day asking for that service,” said Kathleen Special, executive director of the Otis Library in Norwich, Conn. Passport services had been offered at the library for 18 years, but were discontinued in November after the letter was received. “Our community was so used to us providing this.”

A State Department spokesperson said the order was issued because federal law and regulations specifically prohibit “nongovernmental organizations” from collecting and withholding passport application fees. Government-run libraries are not affected.

The spokesperson did not answer questions about why it is now an issue and exactly how many libraries will be affected by this suspension order. “Passport Services has more than 7,500 accepting facilities across the country, and the number of libraries deemed ineligible is less than 1 percent of the network,” they said in a statement.

The American Library Association estimates that about 1,400 primarily nonprofit public libraries nationwide could be affected, or about 15% of all public libraries, depending on how many offer passport services.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Maryland pushed back, sending a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio this month asking him to extend the existing plan until Congress finds a permanent solution.

“At a time when demand for passports is rapidly increasing, libraries are among the most accessible passport-receiving facilities, especially for working families and rural residents,” the members wrote.

According to the lawmakers’ letter, Real ID requirements could force people to travel long distances, take time off from work without pay or forego obtaining a passport if demand spikes. If Republicans in Congress impose strict new voting rules, citizens could need a passport or birth certificate to register. People who fear immigration officials are also increasingly carrying passports to confirm their citizenship.

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They said the change is especially disruptive for states where many public libraries are organized as nonprofits. They predicted that some libraries that benefit financially from passport processing fees will be forced to lay off staff, cut programs, or close if they are not allowed to continue offering passport services.

The organization of public libraries differs from state to state. In Pennsylvania, 85% of public libraries are nonprofit organizations rather than departments of local government. In Maine, it’s 56%. According to the American Library Association, Rhode Island has 54%, New York 47% and Connecticut 46%.

Pennsylvania Rep. Madeline Dean (D) and Rep. John Joyce (R) are proposing a bipartisan bill that would amend the Passport Act of 1920 to allow 501(c)(3) nonprofit public libraries to continue to function as passport acceptance facilities. A similar companion bill is pending in the Senate.

Dean, who first learned of the policy change at the district’s library, which has provided passport services for 20 years, called the State Department’s interpretation of the law “nonsense.”

The Marysville Rye Library in rural Joyce, south-central Pennsylvania, is one of only two Passport facilities serving 556 square miles of Perry County, according to the letter to Rubio. County courts will now be the only remaining option.

The State Department noted that 99% of the U.S. population lives within 20 miles of a designated passport processing location, such as a post office, county clerk’s office, or a government-run library authorized to accept in-person passport applications.

“If the removal of an ineligible facility impacts passport services, we will work to identify new eligible program partners in the affected areas,” an agency spokesperson said.

But Special said the Norwich Post Office frequently referred people to the library to obtain passports if they needed services outside of normal hours or if they had children who needed supervision or entertainment while their parents filled out forms. Library staff also supported applicants with language barriers.

“And now the burden of doing everything is on them, and it’s hard on them,” she said of the post office down the street. “To be honest, I don’t know how they’re keeping up because it’s been such a popular service for us.”